AUTHORS NOTE: Actually now its been a few days nay more a week but the issue is that my photos of the mine are now in my dead laptop to which I have successfully removed the harddrive so I can try and access it in Canada. Anyway I got a bit annoyed with the whole scenario and a little bitter about the photos so I have not done this update yet. Here goes.
I visited the Renström mine today with Ida's uncle Dick as our tour guide. Ida's father, uncles and grandfather have all worked at this mine.
The Renström mine, which started operations in 1952, is currently Sweden’s deepest mine with a deep ramp at the 1,330 m level. The ore is polymetallic with zinc, copper, lead, gold and silver, and is extracted using the cut-and-fill method. Waste rock from the extensive development work and tailings sand from the concentrator in Boliden is utilised as fill. Renström employs approximately 100 people.
It has to be one of the most surrealist experiences I have ever had.
If you have ever been to an amusement park and been on a water ride then think of this - shut your eyes and breathe in through your nose. Surprisingly this is what the mine smells like - because I is so far underground and here is concrete that holds the sides up and there is obviously dampness from the earth.
Also because it is so deep into the earth as you descend into the mine you can physically feel the pressure of depth envelop you. It's not uncomfortable or painful you just know that you are not in Kansas anymore. It is almost like a calm that creeps up on you. I think that people who have either spent too much time in a noisy world or people who don't mind their own company would be very happy down here.
The people who work down here work in teams of 22 and their shifts start at 05h30 and 15h00. They tend to work alone but at the same time are always on the radio to each other. I think this is a people thing as well as a health and safety thing. They always try to have kaffe and fika together at 10h00 and 14h00.
If I haven't mentioned fika before it is obviously morning and afternoon coffee and the fika is basically an assortment of yummy cakes and bikkies. NOM!!
It's funny because I always thought of myself as a glam gal - but it was SOOOOO nice to hop into overalls and hi viz and be around big equipment again. I've turned down going to parties over here but I've not turned this down. So I've learnt about myself that I quintessentially love big boys toys which actually makes me happy because it means although I was stressed out and tired towards the end of my time at POAL I really did love being there at it really was the place for me.
Here is the safety video clip for the mine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn9iCJctqLY
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| Me and Uncle Dick |
As I was reading about your trip down the mine, I couldn't help but relate it to how I recharge/reset myself. I do it by being by myself, not because I don't like being with other people, on the contrary, I enjoying being around people too much these days. Its just that being by myself I realise everything that I have, all the special people in my life, and what's really important if everything was taken away. Life just feels a lot easier after that.
ReplyDeleteIt must have been an experience going down over 1.3 kilometers but it also sounded like it changed you a bit too. You set off to find yourself, and it looks like you're getting closer :-)